Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar landed in Jeddah early Saturday where he is scheduled to attend an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers, which is expected to focus on Israel\u2019s recognition of Somaliland. The OIC emergency session follows Israel\u2019s announcement last month. Somaliland is a self-declared region that broke away from Somalia in 1991 but has not previously been recognized by any United Nations member state, triggering sharp criticism from Mogadishu and regional bodies. Pakistan also condemned the development, describing it as Israel\u2019s attempt to undermine the unity and territorial integrity of Somalia. Pakistan\u2019s Foreign Office earlier said in Islamabad: \u201cThe [OIC emergency] session will address the implications of Israel\u2019s recognition of the so-called Somaliland region of the Federal Republic of Somalia.\u201d \u201cDuring the session, the Deputy Prime Minister\/Foreign Minister will share Pakistan\u2019s position on the issue of Somaliland,\u201d the FO statement added. The OIC announced the extraordinary meeting earlier this week, saying it would help coordinate a unified position among Muslim states and reaffirm unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia under international law and relevant OIC resolutions. A joint statement by Pakistan and other Muslim countries on Thursday condemned Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar\u2019s visit to Somaliland, calling it a violation of the African nation\u2019s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Saar\u2019s visit to Somaliland on January 6 followed reports in international media that Israel had contacted Somaliland authorities over the possible resettlement of Palestinians forcibly removed from Gaza, raising alarm among Muslim countries. The Foreign Office said Dar will also hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from OIC member states on the sidelines of the conference to discuss cooperation on other regional and international issues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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